Invicta Fighting Championships officials announced Friday that
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has signed a multi-fight deal and will
debut for the all-female promotion on April 5.

Santos meets Ediane
Gomes at
Invicta FC 5, which takes place at the Ameristar Casino Hotel
in Kansas City, Mo. The winner of the bout will square off with
former Strikeforce bantamweight queen Marloes
Coenen later this year at Invicta FC 6, according to the
official release.

“I am excited to finally get back in the cage and to have the
opportunity to fight for Invicta Fighting Championships, which has
shown a tremendous amount of commitment to furthering the growth of
women’s MMA,” said Cyborg. “I will be ready on April 5 for Ediane,
and I plan to dominate my competition as I’ve done in the
past.”

Santos, 27, has not competed since knocking out Hiroko
Yamanaka in December 2011 -- a result that was later changed to
a no-contest after “Cyborg” tested positive for the anabolic
steroid Stanozolol. The Brazilian was subsequently stripped of her
Strikeforce featherweight title and handed a one-year suspension by
the California State Athletic Commission.

Though a bout with current UFC bantamweight champion Ronda
Rousey was highly anticipated, Santos asserted that it would
not be medically safe for her to cut down to 135 pounds to fight
for that title. Last week, Santos’ manager, Tito Ortiz,
stated that he had asked for Santos’ Zuffa release.

Gomes, meanwhile, was originally expected to face Julia Budd at
Invicta FC 5, but Budd will now instead face Australian talent
Fiona
Muxlow. A 12-fight pro, Gomes rides a four-fight winning streak
heading into her clash with “Cyborg.” Like Santos, the 32-year-old
was last seen competing against Yamanaka, as Gomes earned a
unanimous decision over “Cat’s Eye” on Jan. 5 at Invicta FC 4.